The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith has hired Rodney Parks as senior director of major and planned gifts. His first day on the job is Aug. 19.
Parks will lead a staff of five in the UAFS Foundation, overseeing the areas of planned giving, major gifts, annual giving, and advancement services. Parks said he was excited to promote the university through the Foundation.
“I am excited about the opportunity for UAFS to continue to grow its donor community,” Parks said in a UAFS statement. “I look forward to facilitating conversations in the region and the state on the activities and excellence of UAFS.”
Dr. Mary Lackie, vice chancellor for university advancement, said Parks “brings expertise and leadership skills which will help us in advancing support for UAFS.”
Prior to his appointment at UAFS, Parks was the director of development at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, where he increased alumni and planned giving, assisted in corporate relations, and secured more than $1 million in government appropriations. Prior to that, he had a 20-year banking career in investment banking and commercial lending.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Arkansas Tech University. He is the former chairman of the State Banking Board of Arkansas, a former trustee of the Arkansas District Judges Retirement System, and former president of the ATU Alumni Association. He will also receive the Crystal Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.